Crusaders Burned by Red Devils 65-23

Chelsea's Jasmine Braman (background) was a tough girl to defend on Tuesday, but UCA's Nicole Roy (foreground) gave it her all. (Photo Mike Olmstead)

By

Mike Olmstead, Sports Editor

NEWPORT–It was a tough day at the court for the UCA Lady Crusaders on Tuesday, as they fell to the Chelsea Red Devils 65-23.
The first quarter started out optimistically for UCA. The two teams traded baskets with Laura Libby putting up six points in the opening eight minutes to lead the Crusaders.
"I was very pleased to have us come out and play in the first quarter," said coach Sarah Roy,"They pressed us and we handled the press ok."
As the quarter wore on, the Red Devils started to pull away. Jasmine Braman had the hot hand for Chelsea, scoring twelve points in the first, helping open up a 22-11 lead after one.
In the second, the Red Devils really started to separate themselves from UCA. Led by Whitney Ladd's ten points, the girls in red would bust the game wide open.
UCA would have trouble finding the basket in the quarter, as the only points came on a shot by Libby with forty seconds to go. As the half drew to a close, it was Chelsea 38, United Christian 13.
The Red Devils would not take their foot off the gas in the second half. Braman again was the go to shooter, leading all scorers with six points in the quarter.
Sydney Whipple had one of the nicer shots of the third when she drained one from down town for her only points of the game. Libby had the other two points for the Lady Crusaders, as the team headed into the final frame down by the score of 53-18.
Nicole Roy and Christina Maxwell each went 1-2 from the free throw line, and Olivia Foster had a three to make up the five points UCA put up in the fourth. Both Maxwell and Foster have seen time at point guard this year, and it is a position that Roy is looking is looking to find more consistency at.
"We are still struggling to find some leadership at the point guard position. I am developing Christina and she is doing a good job, but it is a lot all at once for her.
"Olivia Foster has done that job for us, but was away for two two games during break, so we are trying to fit her back in, and Nicole Roy stepped up and did a good job with that too. It is tough when you don't have one solid person in that leadership role."
Chelsea added twelve points of their own in the fourth, bringing the final score to 65-23.
Heading into their next game, the girls will look to get some more inside pressure and hopefully be able to draw more fouls than they did yesterday.
"We have talked about doing just that, but we are just not there yet. Our basketball mind-set is not quite where it needs to be to take advantage of situations like that," said Roy.
But Roy knows that her group is still a work in progress and these things will come with time.
Laura Libby’s ten points led all Crusaders scorers, and the team got three points from Whipple, Roy, and Hannah Piette, and one form Maxwell.
Next on the schedule is a a trip to face Whitcomb on Thursday. Game time is 5:30.